SCANNING the shelves for your favourite beauty buy, a flash of colour catches your eye and you are hit by a sudden rush of excitement. You have spotted a heavily discounted price tag right next to that lippy you have been wanting. And it’s all yours, thanks to that loyalty card tucked away in your purse (or, more likely, on an app on your phone).
Shop carefully and you can save cash on everything from face wash and shampoo to pricey moisturisers and beauty gadgets, thanks to loyalty cards. But consumer group Which? has accused retailers of engaging in “dodgy tactics” to try to push shoppers to use their schemes. So do they genuinely offer value for money ? Or are they just a clever marketing ploy designed to make us part with our hard-earned cash? Boots and Superdrug are among a growing number of retailers offering “member” prices, allowing you to snap up certain products cheaper if you sign up to their schemes.
There are savings to be had online, too, with websites such as Look Fantastic and Beauty Bay allowing you to collect points with purchases. Four out of five shoppers are a member of at least one loyalty card scheme, according to retail analyst Mintel. Tesco chief Ken Murphy says you would be “mad” to shop without a Clubcard.
While Boots says its customers have saved more than £50million through its Price Advantage deals. Consumer expert Helen Dewdney, of thecomplainingcow.co.
uk, says: “As with all things we purchase, not every offer will be the be.
